In two weeks, the Detroit Red Wings will either be preparing for the playoffs for the first time in nine years – or for a long offseason. That's how little time they have left.
Between now and the end of the regular season on April 17 lies just eight games. The Wings were off Wednesday, offering a respite to recharge and reset mentally after their last game ended with them losing 2-1 in overtime, after being half a minute from a regulation victory. That left the Wings at 34-33-7 and with 75 points, four points out and three spots out of the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.
The Wings have not won consecutive games since Feb. 23-25, and are 4-11-1 since that time, with a winning percentage of .281 that ranks 31st in the NHL.
At most now, the Wings can finish with 91 points, which is what they had at the end of last season. But winning out the stretch is going to be daunting.
Here's a prediction of of how the final stretch of their season may play out.
April 4: Carolina Hurricanes
The Wings seem overwhelmed when they play the Hurricanes, who funnel pucks and players at the net at a relentless pace and project to beat the Wings for the third time since early March. The pick: Loss.
April 6: Florida Panthers
The Panthers face a tough outing the day before against the Senators in Ottawa, so if the Wings play with speed and tenacity, they may be able to take advantage of a tired Panthers team that is also still without top forward Matthew Tkachuk (injury) and top defenseman Aaron Ekblad (suspension). The pick: Win.
April 8: at Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens were near the bottom of the East coming out of the Four Nations break on Feb. 22 and have steadily climbed the standings on the strength of good team performances. As it stands now the Habs are one of the teams ahead of the Wings, and that will intensify the significance of this game. The Canadiens have the edge in being at home. The pick: Loss.
